Pakistan claims it killed 274 Taliban fighters; Afghanistan says 55 Pakistani soldiers dead
The escalation threatens to unleash a protracted conflict along the 2,600-km frontier between nuclear-armed Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Highlights
- Pakistan says air strikes hit 22 Afghan military targets, killing 274
- Afghanistan claims 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory attacks
- Pakistan calls the situation "open war" after days of escalating clashes
- Taliban says want to resolve issues through dialogue
- Regional powers including Russia, China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia attempting mediation
- Iran also offers to help defuse tensions
Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy air and ground strikes on Friday, with both sides reporting sharply different casualty figures in what Pakistani officials described as "open war" along their volatile frontier.
Pakistani air strikes hit 22 Afghan military targets, killing 274 Taliban officials and militants, military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters. At least 12 Pakistani soldiers were also killed, he said.
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Pakistan bombed Taliban government forces in Afghanistan's major cities overnight, the first time it has directly targeted its former allies over allegations they are harbouring militants. The strikes hit the capital Kabul and the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders are based, marking a sharp rupture in ties between the two Islamic neighbours.
Security sources in Pakistan said the operation involved air-to-ground missile attacks on Taliban military offices and posts in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia province in response to Afghan attacks on Thursday.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the situation had escalated dramatically. "Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you [Afghanistan]," he said on Friday.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 posts seized in retaliatory operations. He confirmed that Pakistani forces carried out air strikes on parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia on Thursday night, and on Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Laghman on Friday.
While he said there were no casualties in the night strikes, Mujahid acknowledged civilian casualties in Friday's attacks but did not provide figures. He added that 13 Taliban fighters were killed and 12 wounded in retaliatory operations that lasted two hours.
The Taliban, which denies sponsoring militant attacks on Pakistan and makes similar accusations against its neighbour, said it had launched retaliatory attacks on Pakistani military installations but remained open to dialogue.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always tried to resolve issues through dialogue, and now also we want to resolve this matter through dialogue," Mujahid said.
Multiple ground clashes were reported along the border, with both sides claiming heavy losses that Reuters could not independently verify.
Risk of wider conflict
The escalation threatens to unleash a protracted conflict along the 2,600-km frontier between nuclear-armed Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Pakistan's military capabilities are vastly superior, but the Taliban are adept at guerrilla warfare after decades of fighting US-led forces before returning to power in 2021.
Diplomatic efforts are underway to contain the crisis. Russia, China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are attempting to mediate, according to diplomats and media reports. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan that any solution would require commitment from the other side, Afghanistan's foreign ministry said.
Iran, which borders both Afghanistan and Pakistan, has also offered to assist, even as it remains engaged in sensitive talks with Washington over its nuclear programme.
The latest exchange signals a dramatic deterioration in relations between the two neighbours, with both governments trading accusations and warning of further escalation.
